Glass Chalice

[cheese_sdc]

From another thread in reference to glass chalices:

Cf Redemtionis Sacramentum paragraph #117.
“Reprobated, therefore, is any practice of using for the celebration of Mass common vessels, or others lacking in quality, or devoid of all artistic merit or which are mere containers, as also other vessels made from glass, earthenware, clay, or other materials that break easily.”

I am having a hard time understanding part of the Church’s logic on this one. The part about artistic merit is okay (I guess - I’m not sure if Jesus or the early church worried about the artistic merit of their vessels).

But the part about “materials that break easily”? Whether a person drops a gold chalice or a glass chalice, you’re still going to spill the Precious Blood. The material is… erm, immaterial.
And if the issue is breakage through normal usage, I’ve been in a parish that uses seemingly fragile crystal/glass chalices for almost 10 years, and these have never broken during the normal hand-off between the Eucharist minister and the communicant.

 

[Della]

cheese_sdc:

From another thread in reference to glass chalices:

I am having a hard time understanding part of the Church’s logic on this one. The part about artistic merit is okay (I guess - I’m not sure if Jesus or the early church worried about the artistic merit of their vessels).

But the part about “materials that break easily”? Whether a person drops a gold chalice or a glass chalice, you’re still going to spill the Precious Blood. The material is… erm, immaterial.
And if the issue is breakage through normal usage, I’ve been in a parish that uses seemingly fragile crystal/glass chalices for almost 10 years, and these have never broken during the normal hand-off between the Eucharist minister and the communicant.

Yes, but a gold or silver chalice isn’t going to shatter, thus mixing in all those tiny bits of glass in with the precious blood. And the reason that is important is that the spilled precious blood must be wiped up and properly disposed in the sink in the sacristy that goes directly out to the ground. So, you’ve got a cloth, perhaps many cloths full of liquid, and bits of broken glass that have to be rinsed out in that particular sink. It’s too much of a problem when no such problems could arise with a metal chalice.

One of our pastors said he had to wipe up a full chalice worth that took several cloths to get up. Just think of trying to be sure to get up all the glass bits, too, which cannot be vacuumed up because they are covered in the precious blood. Would you want to be the person having to get all that up off the floor and be sure you’ve gotten each and every bit of glass that has scattered who knows how far and where? Add carpeting to that scenario and it’s even more difficult.

 

[Brendan]

In addition, a gold or silver chalice isn’t going to develop cracks, allowing the Precious Blood to seep out.

 

[drforjc]

Glass can shatter just from setting it down too hard-- done this with glasses at home-- and a metal vessel won’t.

 

[Elzee]

Why is there a reluctance to give up the glass in many parishes? We have beautiful gold chalices in our sacristy - unused for probably 15 years or more. Our Bishop has even instructed that glass is NOT to be used, but he’s ignored. Any thoughts on why some priests will only use glass?

 

[SMHW]

I have some theories.

1. 
   *]One is that the priest/liturgycommittee/whoever thinks that uniformity of look is important. It is probably easier to have a lot of glass chalices that look alike than a number of precious metal chalices.
   
   ]Another possibility is that there just aren’t as many metal chalices as the parish likes to use at a given Mass. And for some reason they don’t want to spend the money to buy more.
   
   *]Another possiblity is that the priest/liturgycommittee/whoever thinks the parish ought to be able to SEE the Precious Blood.
   
   I don’t think any of these are good reasons to use glass but they are reasons
   .
   • As to spending money… I suspect most people have no idea how much competition goes on between different parish groups for funding. The religious education group wants money for this. The liturgy group wants money for that. The social services group wants money for something else. It’s pretty much like a legislative body trying to divy up tax money.
   The liturgy budget probably has to cover such things as the cost of chalices, hosts, candles, a portion of the parish heating and lighting, janitorial services for the church, audio equipment, costs of music, and payments to the accompanist (if he/she is any good expect to pay.) Now if Father decides he doesn’t like his vestments (oh yes, many priests are fashion consious) and wants new ones then there goes the money for new chalices.

 

[Orionthehunter]

Elzee:

Why is there a reluctance to give up the glass in many parishes? We have beautiful gold chalices in our sacristy - unused for probably 15 years or more. Our Bishop has even instructed that glass is NOT to be used, but he’s ignored. Any thoughts on why some priests will only use glass?

In our parish, prior to making the change, we had to deal with the fact that a very prominent family (I’m not talking about just their monetary support but also their faithful witness throughout the parish and beyond) gave a memorial when “Dad” died to buy all new chalices, patens, the whole nine yards. This was done prior to the directive that they be only of precious metals. Until it was mandatory but advised (this must have been a transition-like directive ), the Pastor was reluctant to go to the family and tell them he had to quit using their generous gift and confine them to the dustbin. But when he did and explained why, he was pleasantly surprised that they said “no problem.”

Anyway, maybe your Pastor doesn’t like such matters especially when the spirit of the gift was so noble.

 

[AltarMan]

Brendan:

In addition, a gold or silver chalice isn’t going to develop cracks, allowing the Precious Blood to seep out.

Sure they do. As a matter of fact, back when chalices were consecrated, they would loose their consecration when they did develop cracks.

 

[AltarMan]

Elzee:

Why is there a reluctance to give up the glass in many parishes? We have beautiful gold chalices in our sacristy - unused for probably 15 years or more. Our Bishop has even instructed that glass is NOT to be used, but he’s ignored. Any thoughts on why some priests will only use glass?

Up until about 5 years ago, my parish used dime store wine glasses and glass sundae dishes. When people would complain, the “liturgy coordinator” would get extremely defensive and say something like “we will never use fancy gold around here again. The Mass is a communal meal!”

At one point around Easter I believe, this lady was interviewed in the local newspaper, where she gave her famous quote. In response a “state of the liturgy” letter to the editor was written by an extremely erudite parishioner. He eviscerated this lady’s “beliefs” in public. We soon had a second collection for new sacred vessels (about $6,000), along with many other changes, thanks to be God.

 

[Fidei_Defensor]

cheese_sdc:

From another thread in reference to glass chalices:

I am having a hard time understanding part of the Church’s logic on this one. The part about artistic merit is okay (I guess - I’m not sure if Jesus or the early church worried about the artistic merit of their vessels).

But the part about “materials that break easily”? Whether a person drops a gold chalice or a glass chalice, you’re still going to spill the Precious Blood. The material is… erm, immaterial.
And if the issue is breakage through normal usage, I’ve been in a parish that uses seemingly fragile crystal/glass chalices for almost 10 years, and these have never broken during the normal hand-off between the Eucharist minister and the communicant.

Take someone of high dignity, like the Pope or a president or other head of state for example. Most likely if they were to be paraded publicly, they’d be in a bulletproof/bombproof car, or some car with some high, state-of-the-art security. It is unfitting the dignity of the diplomat/cleric/pope to be placed in some car where it can be destroyed easily or does not protect well the person’s physical being.

Likewise, we believe that Christ should be carried in vessels that do not break easily, made of higher quality as a sign of the respect and dignity which Christ has.

 

[edward_george]

Take someone of high dignity, like the Pope or a president or other head of state for example. Most likely if they were to be paraded publicly, they’d be in a bulletproof/bombproof car, or some car with some high, state-of-the-art security. It is unfitting the dignity of the diplomat/cleric/pope to be placed in some car where it can be destroyed easily or does not protect well the person’s physical being.

Likewise, we believe that Christ should be carried in vessels that do not break easily, made of higher quality as a sign of the respect and dignity which Christ has.

Right on! We are intimately encountering the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Emmanuel, God With Us. This is not a wine tasting! Our Lord is deserving of the finest–after all, he gives us far more than we deserve. I don’t understand why some priests are reluctant to use precious metals.

-ACEGC